Lamentations 3:33: “For he doth no afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.”
Last night we returned from a speaking engagement up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. It had been a long three days and I was so tired so I just walked into my home and collapsed. Suddenly I opened my eyes and I saw my old friend Ayin sitting on my night stand. He asked me if I could help out his friend. I said I would try and he pointed to Nun who was sitting by my Hebrew Bible crying. Hei was there trying to comfort him (Ayin Nun Hei – Anah – affliction, misery). I handed Nun a handkerchief and asked what was wrong. “Nun just said he was so filled with affliction from God and he could not stand it any longer. I patted Nun on the head and said: “That I know my friend that I know, I too am under affliction from God and I just can’t understand it.”
I turned to Ayin and Hei and asked if they would accompany me behind my Looking the Glass and see if we could visit the heart of God and maybe get some answers as to why God is bringing on this affliction. Ayin and Hei said they would and once more they wanted to go with me as they felt this would really prove beneficial for their friend Nun and themselves as well.
So picking up the weeping Nun and put him on my shoulder and with Ayin on my right side and Hei on my left (forming the word Anah – misery, affliction) we passed through my Looking Glass in search of God’s heart and hopefully an answer as to why He is bringing on this affliction.
When entered our Hebrew Esoteric Land I found we were in the Northwoods of this land and facing a cross road. I turned to Ayin and asked which way we should go. Ayin pointed to a great light off in the distance and said he felt that it would be in that light that we would find God’s heart. Hei pointed to a road made of bricks and said: “Look this yellow road leads right to the light, let’s follow it.” So filled with great purpose and the desire to find some answers we headed toward the light.
As we walked I asked Ayin if there was anything he was seeking for himself on this journey should we find our way to God’s heart. Ayin said that his shadow has affected his brain. He, Ayin, represents insight but it seems that like lately all he can see was his shadow filled with darkness and misery, he could not
see any good in the midst of this affliction. He was hoping by visiting God’s heart he might get his brain re-established and be able to see the good in this entire affliction.
Nun had paused from is weeping for a moment and was sort of sniffling. I turned to the Nun and asked, “Nun, How about you, why do you weep so, and what do you hope to receive when we get to God’s heart. “Oh,” said Nun, “My shadow has overwhelmed me and filled me with fear. As a Nun I should represent courage, but I fear I am diving underwater trying to avoid my afflictions.” Then Nun began to weep again, “Oh professor, I am just a coward, nothing more than a coward, I have lost all my courage and I am hoping that maybe when we reach God’s heart He will restore my courage. With courage I will be a true Nun again, able to swim against the currents.”
I then turned to Hei who was quite quiet and asked if he also hoped that this journey to God’s heart would bring him some fortune. “Well” said Hei rather embarrassed, “As you know I represent God’s presence and his still small voice. But since I have been assigned to Ayin and Nun to form the word Anah (misery, affliction), this affliction has broken my heart and with this broken heart I am unable to really sense God’s presence and hear His still small voice. I was sort of hoping that by entering God’s heart He would create in me a new heart, one in which I will again bring about God’s presence and help others hear His still small voice. For alas, unless I can do that, I am just a Hei without purpose.
I nodded knowingly as we continued to follow the yellow brick here in the Northwoods leading to that light when it struck me, “Now wait a minute” I shout to Ayin, Nun and Hei, “I am not Dorothy, you see me wearing ruby colored sneakers and do you expect to find some Wizard at the end of this yellow brick road?” Ayin, Nun and Hei (Anah, misery, affliction) looked at each other and asked” “Who???” “Forget it.” I said, “Let’s just get moving so we can reach God’s heart before sundown.”
We arrived at God’s heart toward evening. God’s heart was a very large office building with thousands and thousands of offices. We went through the glass doors and approached security where there stood two security officers, Lamed and Beth. I recognized that they formed the word Lev for heart. Both were dressed in a black suit with a vest and red tie and greeted us warmly. “What may we do for you?” Asked Lamed. “I need a brain,” said Ayin. “I need courage” whispered Nun, “And I was hoping to get a heart” said Hei. “I just want to get into God’s heart,” I finally said. Lamed looked at me and asked: “Shouldn’t you be wearing a dress and carrying a basket for Auntie Em?”
“Look” I shouted, “I should be in bed sleeping, I just had a long weekend. I’m here for my three friends who form the word Anah (misery, affliction) we are seeking the office of Anah (misery and affliction) could you look it up for us? Beth responded, “I am Beth, I represent a dwelling place or office. I have been checking our directory but I find no office of Anah (misery, affliction) in God’s heart. In fact Anah (misery, affliction) has no place in God’s heart so I would just suggest you take your rift rafts and go find yourself some Emerald Palace.” Well, I did not make this long trip just to be bullied by a Beth and I was tired to boot, so I just stood my ground and said: “Listen, it says right in Lamentations 3:1: ‘I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.’ You see, Ayin, Nun and Hei (Anah – misery, affliction) come right from God so there must be an Anah (misery, affliction) office here somewhere.
Beth looked at Ayin, Nun and Hei suspiciously and asked; “Aren’t you guys from Lamentations 3:33?” Ayin, Nun and Hei looked at each other sort up sheepishly. Beth continued: “I thought so.” Then Beth turned to me. “Didn’t you read Lamentations 3:33 before you started your journey?” “Well, no,” I said hesitantly, “But I do know it says: “He doth not afflict willingly.” Lamed rolled his eyes handed me his Hebrew Bible and said: “Here, read it in the Hebrew.” I did and then slowly turned to Ayin, Nun, and Hei who just kind of shrugged their shoulders and looked up at me with that sheepish look. “You guys knew this all along didn’t you?” I scolded. “You knew all along that in the Hebrew it said: ‘For He does not afflict from His heart.’ Your sort has no office in God’s heart.” “Once more” injected Officer Lamed, “They are not even welcomed in God’s heart. So gone on, be gone with you all, get out of God’s heart, and search somewhere else for an office of Anah (misery, affliction).”
Officer Beth, however, took us aside and said warmly, “Go to the back of God’s heart, there you will find a repair shop, it has a sign on it called Chayah (restore) and ask the Cheth in Chayah (restore), he will help you. So we left and journeyed to the far side of God’s heart and there we saw a little shop with a sign hanging from it that read Chayah (restore). There we met Cheth, a strong powerful sort of Hebrew letter with a leather apron standing by an anvil with an iron hammer in his hand. He looked at Anah (misery, affliction) and frowned and then asked where they came from. They said Lamentations 3:33. Cheth sort of rubbed his chin and said “Yes, yes indeed, we figured you would be showing up at our door step. Go on inside with thee, we shall get started right away.”
Ayin, Nun, and Hei (Anah, misery, affliction) took my hand thanked me and said that perhaps this brings their journey to an end and I should return to my Daleth and through my Looking Glass and get some sleep. I shook their hands and said that I thought this was best. As they entered Chayah (restore) I took Cheth aside and said, “You know, I have been suffering because of these guys for some time now. What is it you plan to do?” “Well,” answered Cheth, “First we will work on Ayin’s brain so he can help you see beyond the darkness of God’s affliction and see how He using Anah (afflict) for good (tov – to be in harmony with God). Then we will give Nun some courage by renewing Nun’s primary role and that is faith. With faith you will know your affliction is meant to bring you in harmony with God and so it is not to be feared. Then, of course we will fix Hei’s broken heart so you can once again feel God’s presence and hear His still small voice.”
“So Anah (misery, affliction) really does not live in God‘s heart?” I asked. “Certainly not,” responded Cheth, “They are free agents and God calls upon them once in a while to strip you of your fleshly and worldly desires. But Anah (affliction and misery) cannot live in God‘s heart, so it is our job to Chayah (restore) them so they are cleaned up before they are allowed to enter God’s heart.”
And now with Anah (misery, affliction) getting themselves cleaned up, I shall take that much needed rest.
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